Crimson Affair
by pooja2992
Summary: On her first day of the new project, the twenty-three year old, Alexandra 'Xandra' Summers encounters the mysterious and charismatic owner of the mansion – Michael Wright, a young billionaire tycoon with terrifying dark secrets – who is instantly infatuated with her.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It started on a crisp Friday morning when I was heading to work in David's car. I usually take my own car to work, but today since I would be only visiting the site, David offered me a ride which I voluntarily accepted. It was a wet, dull and cloudy day in the city of Seattle - a weather I preferred any day over the scorching summer heat.

"You're late," I complained as I threw myself in the passenger seat of David's car and retrieved my wet umbrella.

"Don't blame me. It was your coffee," David said as he handed it to me. Whenever David and I would go on a site visit without going to the office, David made sure that he picked up a cup of coffee for me. It was very kind and thoughtful of him.

David Parker is an architect at H & L Studios, which is also the place where I work but not as an architect. I am an interior designer. I was initially an intern almost two years ago, but since then I have become a permanent and a proud employee of one of the largest architectural firms in the North American continent.

"Thanks," I replied in appreciation of his relentless efforts and took the plastic cup from his hand and placed on the cup holder between us.

He smiled at me boyishly. No one could even remotely guess that he is twenty-eight, he looked young enough to pass as a college sophomore. He is smart, tall and masculine with a pale skin and intelligent hazel eyes that matched his short curly hair and when he smiled, nothing could beat the innocence hidden beneath it.

"Open the glove compartment, there's a file in there," he gestured as we moved into the morning Seattle traffic.

I did as I was told and pulled out a thick blue file from the compartment and began leafing through the pages of the document. It was a complete documentation of the new project that I was recently assigned to.

"You should brief yourself with the progress before we get there," he said, but his eyes were still on the road.

The project that unexpectedly fell into my hands came to our firm in the early autumn of last year. Unexpectedly because Matt Rogers is the senior interior designer in the project and now, unfortunately, he met with an accident two days ago, and I am supposed to fill in his shoes. I'm not expected to do much really, just implement the design that has already been approved and completed by Matt. Originally, I wasn't very keen on taking the part, since there wouldn't be much work for me in it. But David convinced me that it is worth adding to the resume, so I decided to give it a try. The project was in its final stage with only six weeks pending.

"Did you visit Matt?" I inquired, embarrassed that I didn't have time to visit him at the hospital.

"I did, yesterday," he mumbled under his breath.

"And? How is he doing?" I grew impatient by his incomplete information.

"Not so good," he thought for a while before continuing. "He is going to be bedridden for a month at least."

"A month?" I was stunned. "How bad did he injure himself?"

"I don't remember how many broken bones he has, but I know that there were plenty of them and he has already undergone two major surgeries. There is a talk of another." He was uncomfortable with putting words to the tragedy.

"That's terrible. I feel sorry for him," I murmured as I looked at David now, in complete shock.

"Yes, it is."

I went back to the file, carefully scrutinizing each and every design that Matt had finalized which without a doubt was the best I had seen in two years of my career.

"These are really good," I told David as I leafed through six months work of Matt. "These designs are really creative and unique."

Of course, I knew Matt was terrific and thorough with his work, but for the first time, I had seen him put together something so different.

"Yes, they are," David agreed. "The Wright's are an important client to us. They bring us more business than most of the clients we have so it is important that we give them our best."

I believed him.

The house was a magnificent structure constructed on the outskirts of Seattle and billed at seven million dollars by our firm. It had the most modern amenities, with intricately designed custom furniture that was ordered from different parts of the world. The landscaping alone had required a good hundred trees transported from the mountains of the northern Washington with rare flowers that were shipped in from different countries.

"Try to stick to the designs Xandra. And change only if absolutely necessary," he spoke authoritatively.

The last pages of the file constitute of work contributed by Roxie Miller who is the best product designer in the industry. They had specially flown her in from Chicago which is rare in her case since she hates traveling. And she has a particular coldness towards me.

Roxie is a middle-aged senior member of the firm who also regrettably happened to be my mentor during my initial days as an intern. She is the most difficult woman to be around, David told me that on the first day of my work and his words were significantly true.

"These guys are damn rich," I told David breaking an almost fifteen-minute-long silence. I was done with the rough portrayal of the house that was depicted in the file.

"Yeah, they are a big deal, but this house is particularly for Michael Wright, and I guess he is going to be there today. He is quite passionate about this project, so he personally sees it through." He kept his eyes on the wet road.

"Okay. Do I want to know who he is?" I asked sheepishly. It was the first time in my career that I had known very little of the client I was working for.

"Well let's just say that he is into real estate and some oil business and he runs his own company, so he is not into his family business," he said, with no interest. "You'll get to know him once we are there. He heard about Matt and knows that you are a replacement for him, so he wants to meet you."

"Me?" I was confused.

"Well Yeah. He has requested some changes so you may want to build your thoughts around that. And it would be best if you kept your words to a minimal with him," he said, in a serious way.

I don't know what he meant by it, but I didn't question on it. Best left unanswered.

"Oh, and Roxie will be there too. Thought you might need a heads up," he added.

I rolled my eyes at David.

"Great." I made my discomfort perfectly visible with that one word.

"I know you don't enjoy working with her, but she is important, so you got to keep your differences apart and do your job."

"You make it sound as if I have a problem with her, but you forget that it's the other way around," I argued with David.

"Okay, we are almost there, so put that frowning face of yours away."

After a forty-five-minute-long drive, our destination had finally arrived. I peeked outside the window of the car and had only then realized how the scene had changed considerably from the twenty-first century Seattle skyline to the lush greens of the forests. Everything was beautiful and quiet. The road curved through the density of the trees soaking in the heat of the sun that had just emerged from the clouds.

But all of this was nothing compared to the stunning mansion that transpired from the trees. I couldn't get my eyes off at the timeless masterpiece David and his team had created in just a year. Of course, I had just seen the plan of the house, but to see it live was fantastic. It looked lavish and luxurious and definitely a seven-million-dollar project.

"You built this?" I was stupefied by the alluring panorama in front of me.

"With a lot of help," David just nodded.

"This is fantastic; I can't believe it." My stare remained unbroken.

He parked the car near the driveway, and I quickly jumped out to get a better view of the house.

"I'm so glad you asked me for this project."

He got out of the car and examined again at the mansion himself, disbelieving his eyes.

"Every time I see it, it just looks better than before." He commented.

"I'm sure it does," I whispered in awe.

"Do you want to just stand here and look or do you want to go inside?" he asked me, his hands now in his pockets.

"Of course."

The pavement was short, already stoned and leveled. The grass had yet to be planted on either side with those unique flowers for decoration, and it would be done sometime before completion. The entrance was missing doors, and it was evident from the fitting that glass doors were to be installed.

"Why would anyone want to live in such a place? I mean it's so far away from almost anything and everything." My curiosity about the site had begun from the time we had left the highway and entered into nowhere, but I wanted to reach the destination before asking David. It felt very private like Michael Wright wanted an undisturbed residence.

"Honestly, I don't know, and I don't want to know about it. My job is to see through the project, and I intend to stick to the plan," he said, wryly.

"Alright then, stick to the plan," I repeated as I followed him inside.

Inside it smelled of paint and wet mud with the air being moist that carried a scent of the trees and grass and everything naturally green. The rooms were spacious and empty with huge openings for the glass windows that overlooked the green panorama of trees. I read that in the documents David gave me in the car to brush through before I came to the site. By the appearance of it, I could almost nickname it as a glass house.

"David!" The voice was cold and shrill, and I immediately recognized it – Roxie.

I followed her voice and looked up to where she stood at the edge of the stairs, a middle-aged woman with dominant gray hair and small rimless glasses sitting on her nose wearing a black pencil skirt and beige sweater. The women may be one of the best designers in town, but her choice of fashion reminded me of the 60's.

"And a good morning to you too," David replied, always polite and gracious.

"Hello," I added to confirm my presence. I was always invisible to her and to some extent I liked it. It would mean that our conversation would be limited and I would go on to do my work.

"Hello," she replied and quickly looked at David. "We have a situation here David. You need to look in."

"Alright, I'll be right there," and he looked at me.

"Xandra, why don't you look around and familiarize your way in here. We have to start right away."

"Okay." I nodded.

He walked off towards Roxie, and they disappeared into a room on the right. I was glad that they were gone, I couldn't breathe the same oxygen she inhaled and also, I needed alone time to think. Quiet helps me process things faster and better, it helps my mind be creative and put ideas together. Of course, there was the noise pollution of all the drilling but what I needed was a space deprived of human presence.

I was standing in the middle of the lower living room. The left wall was missing and would be replaced with glass that reflected the lush green trees of the thin forest. I opened the documents to peek into the ideas of Matt and his choice of furniture. He had arranged quite a selection, and to my surprise, I approved most of it.

But in all these details, there was one thing that caught my attention. The glasses that were to be installed were ballistic glasses that were polycarbonate laminated. At first, I thought it was a mistake, but as I ran through the designs of other rooms, I noticed that some of the glasses were ballistic - the exterior ones.

Why does Michael Wright want to install bulletproof glasses?

Ignoring my discovery, I moved into the kitchen area, it was huge compared to most of the kitchens I had worked with. It had a dinner area, slightly elevated and an opening that led outside, directly to the swimming area. The landscaping had yet to be completed, but by the work that was going on, I assumed it would be breathtaking.

I stood there sulking in the marvel of the house, I hadn't even seen half of it, but I knew that it was a beauty. I turned around to walk out of the kitchen, upstairs to the study and the bedrooms. It took me a while before I found the study, scanning the room carefully.

This was the only room that was arranged with furniture and immediately got on my radar. Everything here felt unorganized and scattered with no connection between the objects and its placing. A modern custom designed chandelier hung in the corner next to an exceptionally large French mirror pinned exactly opposite to the glass window that overlooked the green vista and the twenty-three-year-old interior designer with chestnut eyes, coffee brown wavy hair and a never before fair tanned skin.

I then gazed at the blank wall that would soon be occupied by paintings commissioned by the owner. There was a large desk placed few feet away from the window which under no circumstances matched the rest of the furniture.

Deciding that I would have to change a lot about in the room, I took a turn about the room, and that's when I saw him for the first time in his exquisitely expensive black suit and carefully combed hair. He stood there patiently as still as a model in a portrait, gawking inconspicuously at me.

My breath declined considerably as everything around me blurred except him. Time stopped infinitely, the preposterous noise around us diminished to a deafening silence and the air-enclosing us was astonishingly immobile. Nothing in the room stirred but him and me, his eyes gaping mine. It was a moment of reverie colluded with the presence of a dark, mysterious stranger, who felt unearthly familiar.

Every beat of my heart synced with each step that he took towards me. I was uncontrollably hyperventilating. Our gaze remained unbroken as he took his place before me, sifting through me with his wide sterling gray eyes.

"I couldn't help but notice your disappointment," he said, a voice hauntingly melodious that shook me off my trance.

"Dis… Disappointment?" I stammered. I suppressed my nerves and tried to act normal.

I was unable astray my eyes from him, and surprisingly he was looking right into mine. He was tall, lean and dressed in a black suit and gray tie that reflected his gray eyes and contrasted his black hair that was neatly cut and set with a hair gel. His sun-kissed complexion, sharp nose and tightly pressed thin lips with a brilliant physique gave him away as a vogue model.

"You disapprove the setting of the room!" he spoke confidently, "I guess that the contemporary design of the chandelier doesn't go with the selection of the French furniture here." His eyes were exploring my face now.

"How did you know that?" I was stunned by his discovery. It felt like he was reading my mind.

He smiled triumphantly, revealing his hidden dimples on either side of the cheek and directed his eyes down to the floor for a moment in a shy gesture.

"I have a gift," he looked up at me. "I understand people."

"I don't disapprove of the mixing of culture," I admitted, failing miserably at being myself.

"No, you don't," he grinned a boyish smile. "But in this particular scenario, you want to keep it uniform."

My mouth opened slightly in a surprise at the precision of my thoughts.

"You can change to your liking," he said it before I could ask anything more.

Who is he? I quivered. He wasn't from my work that I was certain of, it was a small office, and everyone knew almost everyone, so the possibility of a colleague was ruled out. I looked around to see if someone could help him, but realized that there was no one in the room.

"I'm Michael Wright." He said it instantly before I could even ask and it terrified me. He extended his hand to me.

This is him? My mind went blank at how young he was and so attractive. It took me a while to find my voice, and he waited with all the patience in the world.

"Err… I'm Alexandra Summers," I muttered. I took his hand into mine and shook. An intoxicating shiver ran through me, it threatened my presence there. "I'm a replacement for -"

"Matt Rogers," he completed. Of course, he knew who I was, David told me earlier that he wanted to meet me.

"Mr. Wright, I'm really sorry I couldn't recognize you. David had mentioned it that you would be visiting, I just didn't assume that it would be so soon." I blabbered. It was totally unnecessary.

"Miss Summers," he spoke, his voice soft as he continued talking, "I'm glad we ran into each other."

"You're glad?" I croaked. My cheeks went hot and flush. I prayed that he didn't notice me blush.

"Are you alright Miss Summers? You are flushed and overwhelmed."

"Are you always this confident about your observations Mr. Wright," I argued, hiding my awkward moment.

I looked down, smiling devotedly at my misery.

"I'm confident because I'm right," he said. "In most cases," he added.

"I think that you take great pride in being right all the time, hence the constant urge to prove to the other of your deviant gift."

"I have to admit that you are smart."

"And I have to admit that you are right."

"I am, but particularly on what account Miss Summers." He enjoyed his little triumph.

"On account that I want to replace some furnishings of this room. They aren't quite to my taste."

"Then, by all means, change them."

"Thank you." I blushed again.

"Shall we talk business then?"

"I expect nothing else," I said.

"I hope to prove it wrong someday." There was a sly smile on his face.

"I'm sorry?" My eyes flickered.

"As I was saying, I have some specific designs I require in certain rooms of this house. Matt and I consistently met on several occasions and discussed it, he understood what my expectations were, and I hope that you do too."

"Matt has documented most of your ideas, I have them here in this file," and I pointed out the blue file David had handed me in the morning. "So, I hope we don't have to work on it from scratch, and I'll try my best to work out your expectations."

"I'm sure you will, Miss Summers. David has spoken highly of you, and I have never doubted him." He smiled, "So how do you like the house?"

"It's breathtaking. I have no words to describe it," I swallowed, a little nervy.

"Thank you, Miss Summers. That's very gracious of you," he replied, politely. "I had ordered some photographs that arrived this morning, I came to view the outcome. Would you like to accompany me? Maybe you can share your opinion."

_He was so polite._

He took me to an empty room next to the study, where several concealed packages were placed on the floor leaning on the wall. He unpacked the five boxes, and I helped them, trying to be friendly.

Once done he asked, "So, what do u think?" he looked at me.

All the five paintings were deprived of color, they were black and white. They were pictures that were common in one notion, they were all fantasy art created digitally in the most realistic way. They were all imaginations that were possible only in a dream but photographed them into substantiality.

"This is pure creativity; I have never seen anything like it," I gestured at the photographs.

"I couldn't agree more Miss Summers. I know a digital artist who can create almost anything. When I saw his work, I knew I wanted it," he spoke, his voice was music to my ears.

There was one picture that caught my attention the most. It was a mermaid stuck in the upper half of a small hourglass, and the hourglass was full of water in the top bulb but was slowly leaking from its narrow neck, relieving bit by bit the one thing most important for the mermaid to live – water.

There was a sense of pain in those photos, a kind of darkness in his imagination that made me wonder what the creator was portraying.

"I think you like this one a lot," he commented.

"Yes, I suppose. It's trying to say something, but I'm unable to understand," I failed to withdraw my eyes from the portrait.

"The hourglass represents the world we live in; the mermaid depicts us-humans, and I guess all the other living species on this planet. The water is the life that is being sucked out of us drop by drop by the system we are all enslaved to." There was a deepness in his voice, of misery and longing entwined with a darkness that intimidated me.

I looked at him after his surprising explanation. I had to agree with him, it was quite an answer.

"Yes," I hissed. I couldn't say anything more.

I stood there with Michael sulking in the mild heat of the sun that streamed through the large opening. He looked towards me, on the verge of saying something, when…

"Michael! I knew you were here. I saw your car in the alley." It was David. He startled us.

"I just got here," Michael replied.

"I see you have met Miss Summers."

"Yes, I have. And I think she is an excellent replacement, David."

"She is one of the smartest designers we have, you can count on her." David looked at me and smiled. "Anyway Michael, there is something we need to discuss."

"Yes," Michael agreed.

Michael turned to face me, "Miss Summers, I shall call you at work and make an appointment." And he extended his hand towards me, my hands wrapped around his to form a clasp and instantly there was electricity that ran through my body. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, Mr. Wright," I replied and let go quickly.

I saw Michael walk away with David into the pool area. David was busy explaining something to Michael, showing him some of the documents and taking some input. The conversation seemed intense.

I moved out of the kitchen, back to the living room trying to replay what just happened. My breathing had picked up a pace and my mind visualizing the scene again and again.

_He is a client_. _Behave._

I climbed the stairs that led to the upper level of the house. It opened into a large living room with an open balcony. The living area was leveled down by two steps, and there was a space for fire. I searched for the interiors of the room in the file, but mentally I was hovering over the moment I had with Michael. He was everywhere in my mind distracting me from my work.

Irritated I moved to the attached small kitchen with not as many facilities as the downstairs one. I looked into the documents and checked out the modular Matt had ordered for space and visualized how it would look, but the only thoughts that crawled my mind were of Michael and the momentary touch we had just shared.

Afterwards, I moved into one of the bedrooms, and it was big and glorious. One side of the wall was already attached to a mirror, and it reflected the open forest picturesque from the wide glassed door that opened into a balcony.

I walked into the balcony, it was quiet and peaceful, and the scenery was breathtaking. As my eyes glazed down, I saw a black Mercedes sitting in the front parking lot next to David's car. Michael's car, I figured.

There is something different about him, he didn't seem like the other guys I had known. He has constructed a mansion in the most remote and peaceful areas, collects fantasy artwork that depicts real-life human scenarios. Is definitely not older than thirty and already has a business of his own. Quite an achievement.

And then I saw Michael and David come out of the house and walk towards the black car. David said something to Michael as he opened the driver's door. Michael responded, and they shook hands and then for just an instance he looked up like he knew I would be there standing, waiting for him.

Our eyes mysteriously locked into each other like a jigsaw puzzle that longed to be brought in together. My heart instantly began to race, and all I wanted to do was run away from there, but I was paralyzed, unable to move any part of my body. All I could see was Michael's sterling gray eyes that stared at me as I swallowed hard. Somehow looking into his dark gray eyes comforted me but it also terrified me.

He gave a small, almost unnoticeable smile and vanished inside his car. Our stare broken, the pieces of the puzzle separated as I ran inside the room, hiding from the embarrassing moment.

_Crap! _


	2. Chapter 2

h1 style="text-align: center;" align="center"span style="font-size: 22.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"Chapter 2/span/h1  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I pulled out the keys to a two-bedroom apartment that my bestie Megan and I have been sharing and renting for the past two years. Megan had allowed me to stylize it the way I wanted and I was very grateful to her. It was the first time I had an apartment that I was span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"authorized/span to decorate the way I span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"wanted,/span and it smelled of freedom. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Can I please do the interiors?" I had asked her sheepishly when we first came to see this apartment during our hunt. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Of course, Xandra. I would be a total idiot if I refused a free-of-cost interior designer," she span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"replied,/span and we both laughed about it. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I opened the door and stepped inside. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Thank God, you are home. span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"I have been trying to reach you for/span over an hour." It was Megan. She popped her head out from the fridge. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Megan Hopper is a slender, athletic girl with curly blonde hair, of about my height with a pale skin and faded freckled face and lovely, thoughtful green eyes. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Yeah, I was in a poor network reception area. Work Thing." I muttered as I slammed the door shut behind me and threw my span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"handbag/span on the sofa. "Why did you call?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Did you speak to Andrew?" she asked, as she leaned on the door of the open refrigerator./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Not today." I vaguely replied and threw myself on the couch, a faded pistachio color that we had bought on a sale during our final year of college and transported it to our new home. My calf muscles and thighs ached from the prolonged standing in our site visit and nothing soothed them better than throwing them on the small table in front me and relaxing./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Megan's eyes narrowed at me. She was upset about span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"something,/span and I hadn't the slightest clue. I tried to think but all I wanted to do was sleep, I was exhausted. But Megan had other plans for us today./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Knowing now that I had no clue of what she was referring to, she gave in with a sigh./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""It's Andrew's birthday," she mumbled, disappointed by my attitude./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Oh! /emNow it came back to me. Now I knew what she was referring to. I had completely forgotten about it since the arrival of my new project. span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"I looked at her from the corner of my/span eye in regret as my head lay on the support of the cushion, Megan had distinctly reminded me yesterday. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Damn!/span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I forgot," I lifted my head upright and shifted on the couch. "You have no idea what a crazy day I had at work today," I paused before continuing. I was sure that my excuses weren't going to get me anywhere with Megan. "I'll call him now."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I twisted on my side where my purse was and began searching for my phone, but before I could find span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"it,/span Megan put it to an end./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Don't bother now," she began. "We are going out. Now. Wish span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"him/span then," and she went back to digging into the refrigerator. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Now?" And that's when I realized that she was dressed up in her dark maroon skater dress with her new pearl earrings and matching bracelet. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""It's weekend, Xandra. Cheer up." Megan came out of the refrigerator with a box of span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"half-eaten/span chocolate bar and closed the door./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I'm too spent to go out," I complained wearily. "I'd rather sleep."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Don't be a spoilsport Xandra. Go freshen up and get dressed." She ordered me. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Okay," I agreed. I had no way of escaping her, any argument and she would win easily./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I lifted my sore body and walked into my bedroom, peeking into my closet that was stuffed with limited styles of clothing. I picked out a dark emerald black dress and laid it on the bed. I then quickly jumped into a hot shower to burn off all my tiredness. It felt amazing how the flow of hot water from my head to my feet felt like a magical healing serum that eased my body ache. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I towel dried myself and wrapped it around me before I got out of the bathroom. I zipped into my dress and stared at the stranger in the mirror. The girl in the mirror stared back at me, her pale skin with a hint of blush – an after-shower effect and chestnut eyes were distracted by the young entrepreneur she had met earlier today./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-no-proof: yes;"No man has ever affected me the way/spanspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" Michael Wright span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"had,/span and it unraveled me. What is it about him that drew me to him? His sulky dreamy gray eyes and courteous manners felt like he had fallen from a world that was far away from ours. The way he carried himself, the way words came so smoothly out of his lips and the way he knew exactly what I was thinking made my body quiver for his sight again./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Stop it! /span/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I scolded myself. But there was no way of shaking my mind of the scenes that occurred in the morning./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-no-proof: yes;"My cheeks flushed pink at the thought of/spanspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" his eyes looking into mine. I could still picture his black suit and his gray tie, his hand in one of the pockets of his span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"trousers/span. He was too young to be rich. His words repeated in my mind, his voice warm and soft and calm and so many goods I couldn't possibly describe. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The more and more I thought of him the deeper I engaged myself in a dream that would never be a reality. It was a dream that I feared waking up to. It was a place I never wanted to span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"leave,/span and it was a place where Michael Wright was there. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Are you done? We got to hurry." Megan yelled from behind the door. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Oh shit! I glared at the watch I had just worn. My nonsensical thinking had delayed us of our departure./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"One of the best things about Megan was that she never invaded your privacy. She would always give you all the space required to be and do whatever you want. It was span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"comfortable/span living with her in a way, which I loved immensely. And she never judged you, which worked great with me when I first met her in college./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Almost done," I stated as I came out of the span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"beautiful/span illusion of Michael Wright. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I lightly glided a nude rose pink lipstick on my lips and let my hair loose. span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"I then went on a hunt for a/span small span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"handbag/span to compliment my evening's attire. Luckily, I found my old black clutch, a gift from my mother on my twenty-second birthday, and it was perfect for my outfit. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I then quickly opened the door to show Megan that I'm ready to go. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The bar was loud and crowded, felt like half the population of Seattle decided to get drunk. The music was almost span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"deafening,/span and most the crowd was dancing to its tune. I spotted Janine at the corner of the bar, she waved at us. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Janine was a span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"soft-spoken/span, shy girl with large black eyes and chubby cheeks whom Andrew began span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"dating over a year ago and got engaged/span to three months ago. The big day for them was set in six span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"weeks,/span and she sounded ecstatically excited over the phone when she called to announce it./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Andrew stood next to her in a plain white shirt and jeans and a rugged look span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"like he hadn't had time to shave in/span over a week. I knew Andrew before I went to college with him. We sort of landed in the same college which was lucky for both of us, made is sustain through the initial stage in the new city. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Habitually he was somewhat similar to Janine which makes them a great couple. They were perfect for each other./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I quickly jumped to Andrew's side and gave him a tight hug, my way of starting an apology./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Happy Birthday…!" I screamed through the pounding music of the pub. "I'm so sorry that I didn't wish you earlier. I was caught up with span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"work,/span and it slipped my mind."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Hey," he let go. "It's alright. You're here, celebrating with me. That's important."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"So how is the wedding prep coming along/span?" I asked him, excited that he would be the first among us to be married./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Honestly, it's going hectic. We are still running out of so many span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"arrangements,/span and there are only six weeks." He was gleaming with happiness, his eyes almost lit up when he spoke of his wedding./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""It will all come together just fine. Don't worry about it too much. And let me know if I can help you with something." I offered, he was always like a brother to me./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Actually, there is something that I was hoping you could help me with," he asked meekly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Go on," I encouraged. "Anything to help you."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Janine is having some trouble with the arrangement of flowers. Maybe you could look into it. Help her out. She is really stressed out about this whole wedding." He remarked./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Sure thing." I agreed./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"And then Megan came after me to wish him again which gave me time to speak to Janine who looked a little weary./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Hey!" I gave her a quick hug, "You don't look so well."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""When people say that weddings are an exhausting affair, believe them." And we both laughed at it./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I then went and gave a hug to Caleb the part Asian from his father's side. span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"He was a man of few words or/span that's how he introduced himself to others. He kept very few friends and mingled with even fewer, but he was friendly to Megan and me. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Then there was Kayla, the brunette with dark eyes who secretly had a crush on Andrew but withdrew once he got involved with Janine. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I hastily shifted back to an empty place next to Janine, there were limited seats available and my legs still ached from the morning trip./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Andrew told me you wanted help with the flower arrangements," I began./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Most desperately," she pleaded. "The one I hired are not very comfortable with procuring the flowers I want. They are complaining about its availability. And I can't seem to find another in such short time."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Oh!" I sighed. "I know someone who may be able to help you. I can't assure you if she can get what you want. But it's certainly worth the try."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""That would be great," she appeared a little relieved./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I'll pass you her number. You can speak to her and let me know if it worked out." The engagement ring – a span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"princess/span cut diamond sparkled on her hand under the flashy light of the bar./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Okay, guys. Let me get something to drink," Andrew announced in our table and disappeared into the crowd, heading for the bar counter. We all made ourselves comfortable at the corner of the bar, away from the dancing crowd. He came back with six small glasses filled with transparent liquid – tequila. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I thought we might do some shots." And he gave a glass to each of us. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""To Andrew…" Megan span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"said,/span and we clicked our tiny glasses./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""And to my lovely fiancée, Janine," Andrew added. We toasted span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"again,/span and I took a quick gulp. The liquid burned through my throat as it seeped down./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""That was strong," Kayla complained against the bitter taste of the shot./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""That was good," Andrew reframed, his face still adjusting to the taste./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Whose up for another round?" Megan spoke up. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I'll have a beer," Caleb shouted through all the noise of the club. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Make that two," I added. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Kayla, Janine, and Megan ordered their choices and span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"Andrew,/span and Caleb disappeared in the crowd to fetch our orders. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""So, six weeks more huh!" Megan said to Janine. "How does it feel?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Scary!" she replied in one word./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I can't relate that. But if you are saying it then it must be true." Megan said. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""After this round, we'll dance," Kayla broke through the music./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"And the four of us agreed./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-no-proof: yes;"By the end of the night, I was/spanspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" three tequila shots down, and two beers to add to my mild tipsiness. The air inside the room began to feel span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"suffocating,/span and for the first time, I felt like I would choke on all the cigarette smoke. I wanted to breathe span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"fresh,/span clean cold air that didn't stink of intoxication, so I told Caleb I was going outside to inhale. The others were busy span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"dancing,/span so he decided to accompany me outside. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"The air on the exterior of the pub was icy as span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"a cold/span breeze swept across the streets of Seattle. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-no-proof: yes;"I took a deep breath and inhaled as much/spanspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" I could. It felt clean, moist and cold, damn cold but it was better than the polluted, stale air circulating in the club. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Feeling better?" Caleb asked as he walked out after me. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Much better. You know, the surroundings around you affect your brain more than the alcohol," I answered, a little dizzy. I could feel the booze crawling up my brains and killing all my cells. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I think you have had more than usual." He gestured at my state. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I laughed, a little too loud that a couple nearby turned and looked at me. Penitently, I pulled myself together and controlled my voice./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I don't think I realized that I was having too much while I was having too much…" I said, trying to sound span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"reasonable/span but I knew Caleb could make out that I was losing it. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""So… what's new with you?" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Nothing really. Same old work, same old life." I almost sang./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I desperately wanted to tell Caleb about my encounter with Michael Wright, the young billionaire model with whom I may have behaved like a total idiot. It could have passed as an entertaining span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"conversation,/span but I decided to keep the thoughts to myself. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"There was a time, somewhere during the college days and a little later when I confided in Caleb and valued his opinions, but of late we had grown span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"distant,/span and our friendship weakened. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""How are things with you? Haven't seen you much lately. You even missed Kayla's birthday." I spoke, cutting through the awkward silence that fell between us. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I was caught up with work and most of the weekends I'm busy with the band practice. We are performing at the three strings, Saturday – two weeks from today, so you should come, I would be glad if you did." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Oh, my God, that's great," I almost screamed but realized again that I wasn't alone on the streets. "Finally, you're doing something big. Caleb Morris, I'm proud of you," and I gave him a quick hug, "I wouldn't miss it for the world." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"He smiled at me. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"My eyes prowled at the darkness of the street as the wind bit through my skin, a few teens were scattered across the locality, some in groups and others in pairs, and it was among these people that I spotted him for the first. He was standing there, alone in the silhouettes of inky blackness. His face almost shadowed in the night, but his physique was impractical to miss. He stood there patiently staring towards me like I was the prey and he was the hunter, analyzing me, waiting for me, gawking at me. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Do you see that man?" I tried to point out to the stranger with my eyes, avoiding suspicion. "There in the corner…"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Caleb followed my gaze and looked at the man who stood there still like a statue./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""What about him?" he asked./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""He is staring at us," I whispered./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Caleb looked at the man and then looked at me and chuckled. "I think it's the tequila talking now."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""No… No… I'm quite serious." I confessed. "Look at him."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"He did as I asked him to do and now we were both were staring at the stranger who still stood undisturbed by our actions. He patiently span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"leaned/span span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"on/span a wall beside him and continued his stare, fearlessly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I think we should go inside and stay with the others," Caleb spoke without looking away. He too felt odd about the stranger and wanted to go with the safer option./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I nodded in span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"agreement,/span and we rushed inside, back to the deafening music of the pub./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"It was quiet and peaceful. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-no-proof: yes;"I flickered my eyes to adjust to the/spanspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" ostentatious light storming through the open window that had flooded the entire room. I tried to rise from my sleeping position but the aching the head had captured all my attention. My body ached enormously with every move I made to sit upright./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I looked around and realized I was in my room, but the memory of me coming here and lying down had not quite clicked in my head. I was in my blue pajama's and a white span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"t-shirt,/span but I couldn't recollect wearing them. Everything was hazy and dark in my mind. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"emspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"How is it that I don't remember any of this?/span/emspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Shattered memories of last night began slithering in my brain. We were in a span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"pub,/span and I was drinking, we were celebrating Andrew's birthday and then nothing. That's all I remembered. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I rushed out of the room, calling for Megan, probably she could fill in the empty spaces. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Megan," I called. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Oh, look who is up." It was Megan busy mixing something in the bowl with span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"an /spanegg beater behind the kitchen counter. Her tone was a little span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"dangerous,/span so I knew I was in trouble. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""How are you feeling?" I turned around and saw Caleb, spreading himself on the couch. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""You slept here? On the span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"sofa/span? Why?" I asked, confused. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Nice," replied Megan. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Here, have this. It will help you with span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"the headache/span." And she handed me Motrin for the pain. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I poured some water and quickly popped the pill. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""So, are you guys going to tell me what happened?" I shrugged, ashamed even before knowing the story. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""What was the last thing you remember?" Megan asked./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I remember… span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"we/span were in a club span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"celebrating,/span and we drank." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Yes, we were celebrating," she continued. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"And yes, we drank. But you drank a lot." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I did?" I doubted myself. "And?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""And then you got really drunk that we had to bring you home," she looked at Caleb. "We," she pointed out to Caleb and herself. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Both of you?" I was confused./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""That's what 'we' means in this room," Megan clarified./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Damn," I sighed. "I must have been really drunk." I took a stool opposite the kitchen table and pressed my temple with my palm./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""But Kayla was much worse. It's good you didn't see her throw up. It was disastrous." Her expressions were more than enough for me to figure out./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"emspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Urgh! /span/emspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I'm sorry, I was reckless." I apologized, feeling horrible. "How is Kayla now?" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""No idea. Hasn't answered any of my calls yet."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Oh!" I muttered./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I think I'll take off, got some work to wind up." Caleb got off the couch and slipped into his shoes. "You take care Xandra," he gave span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"Megan and me/span a quick hug and was gone. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I shut the door behind him and crawled myself on the couch, trying to relax my body. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Megan was busy frying the span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"pancakes/span. I rested my head on the back of the span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"sofa/span and closed my eyes, forcing my brain to remember last night. But everything was black and blur./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""So, who's Michael?" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""What?" I cried out loud. My head jerked off and stared at Megan. Shocked. Surprised. Even petrified. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"I tried to swallow the lump forming in my throat. How does span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"she/span know that name? My eyes narrowed at her in suspicion./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Where... where did you hear that?" I stammered. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"Megan focused on me, trying to rattle out an answer. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""You blabbered his name last night while you were drunk." She vaguely put it. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"My cheeks went red hot, I had to answer her or else she would badger out the truth from me. I would have to blurt out my little stare incident and how I was in awe for span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"him/span. Or better I could lie and get out of this situation, but my creative senses had almost departed me that very instant./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""No one. Just a client. That's all." That was the best I cooked up./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""No one? Are you sure?" she stared at me. "You might have mentioned his name more than once," she teased me. She was enjoying this. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""I was at the site yesterday and my new client – Michael, was there." I struggled to find words./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""Is that why you were so tired yesterday?" she raised an eyebrow, curiously./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""No," I protested. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""So, is he hot?" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""What? No," I shrugged. "I mean sort of," I admitted, to myself more than to her. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;""No wonder," she gave a sly smile. /span/p 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I wasn't exceptionally looking forward to the evening, it was going to be a dull and a wasted affair. But I had no choice in the matter, I had to go – David's instructions were explicit.

"You can't miss such an event Xandra. This isn't like the yearly annual party. This is the launch of our new subsidiary." He told me when I expressed my displeasure on showing up to the party.

Two years ago, H & L Studios began a standalone project to open up their own line of home products. After careful consideration, they finally agreed to go ahead with the program giving light to many of the young product designers at our firm. And today was the launch party.

"Fine," I sighed, with a complete disapproval.

I'll just be in and out, I consoled myself with that lie, while I stepped into an indigo off shoulder dress, something I had kept for a better occasion. I strapped a choker around my neck courtesy of Megan who had lent it to me to match my outfit. I wasn't really a makeup person, but Megan insisted that I throw in some blush on my cheek otherwise the pale color of my skin would ruin the look. I obeyed her and gave her the pleasure which she joyfully obliged. Once she was done with my face, I examined myself one last time in the mirror.

"This will do," I told myself as I hurried out of my room after Megan who quickly occupied the couch and engaged in her laptop. She was a workaholic.

"I thought you hated such things," she said without looking away from the screen.

"I do, I don't know a lot of people there. I'll probably die of boredom," I sighed, jumping into my pumps.

"Not with that dress, you won't," she teased me.

"Excuse me," I was surprised.

She looked up to me again, this time carefully examining me, "You look great Xandra. I'm sure you will find someone there to entertain you. Maybe even your most recent crush," she giggled.

I knew now that Megan knowing about Michael is going to put me in a vulnerable position with her constant taunts, but there was no denying her positive words. If luck was on my side, she could be right. There could be a perfect possibility that Michael might show up to the event as the invitations were extended to the clients as well.

"Thanks, Megan," I tightened my lips hiding my shy smile and tilting my head down ignoring her. The thought of seeing Michael again brought a desperate shiver down my spine. As much as I told myself that he means nothing to me, it was an easily caught lie.

I drove roughly twenty minutes into the heart of the city, to the finest hotel in Seattle where the business launch party was planned. Giving my car to the valet, I quickly located the lounge in the hotel which when I entered was half packed with my colleagues and some recognizable clients – clean and shiny in their suits and coiffed hair.

It was a spacious lounge, that was dimly lit with fancy lighting and shimmering crystals on all sides. The walls were encrusted with shiny reflective embossed silver plates on the adjacent of the room, just behind the bar that was already flocked with men. The other side of the room had comfortable beige colored couches assembled around glass tables for guests to relax and reminisce about the evening.

I spotted David talking to one of the guests, so I quickly made my way through the crowd hoping to kill some time with the only friendly person I had noticed in the entire room.

"David," I called out to him in the crowd.

"Xandra," he was startled to see me. "You look lovely tonight," he spoke after a careful examination.

"Thank you, David," I blushed.

"This is Mr. Patrick Sanders, the newest investor in our business," David directed to the middle-aged man standing in front of us. "And this is Alexandra Summer, the young talent of our company."

"How do you do, Mr. Sanders," I put forward my hand for a shake.

"Good. How about yourself?" he asked me.

"I'm doing great," I replied wryly.

"I was just about to introduce Roxie Laurel to Mr. Sanders, would you like to join us Xandra," he asked me hoping for a positive answer, but I had to let him down. I had no intention of running into Roxie throughout the event, it would only sour my evening.

"Umm… I think I'll join you later," I concocted the politest way to refuse. "I really want a drink first. I'll catch up with you after," I assured him.

"Of course, Xandra," David agreed. He looked disappointed by my action, but it was obvious even to him that I wouldn't want to meet her unless the situation was inescapable and I was confident that Roxie would prefer the same.

I parted from him and made my way to the bar, that was now scarcely populated by the guests. There were two of them on my side who sat on the bar stool and were extremely engrossed in their stock market discussion, which was monotonous to my ears.

"Cosmopolitan," I gave my order to the nearest barista who quickly got on with it.

Turning around, I leaned on the table with the help of my elbow surveying the tedious gathering of strangers, especially the women dressed extravagantly in their fancy outfits and flaunting themselves around men. The sole purpose of their presence here was the attention of all the wealthy and successful entrepreneurs. They didn't really care about the event or its purpose, they were here for themselves.

"You look like you could have had a better evening elsewhere," a familiar soothing voice spoke. And I knew it at once – Michael.

I turned to face him as he was leaning towards me closer than usual. He was dressed in a black suit with a black shirt, no tie and gold cufflinks that radiated in his attire. He had a drink in his hand, scotch – neat, by the looks of it that he placed it slowly on the bar.

His proximity allowed me to inhale the intoxicating cologne that he wore, which lured me towards him.

"Mr. Wright. I figured it was you." I revealed.

"And I you," he gleamed staring unapologetically at me.

"Why did you say that?" I asked him out of curiosity.

"Am I wrong?" He countered me with another question.

"Never said that," I encouraged him.

His gray eyes patiently examined my face and then threw a lazy smile before shying away.

"What?" I demanded.

"You are a difficult woman to impress." He made another statement without explaining it.

"Are you trying to impress me, Mr. Wright?" I threw a repulsive involuntary question that I regretted instantly.

His grin widened, and his dimples deepened on either side as he shied again. "If I were, this would hardly be the place and the occasion to do so."

My throat warmed, and my chest burned making me wonder if I had overstepped into concluding otherwise. Who was I kidding? He was too wealthy and beautiful to fall for a simple girl like me. Such kind of attraction is only one-sided and end disastrously.

"I wasn't serious," I lied trying to put him off from my stupid, hasty assumptions.

"But let's say you were," he jumped in.

"Serious about you impressing me?" I wasn't enjoying the tone of the conversation. It was embarrassing now.

"Yes, why not? What would it take for you to be impressed." He placed his elbow on the table, leaning slightly over it.

"I don't have a list, Mr. Wright. But I do believe that honesty would do the trick." That was the only thing that popped up in my mind.

"Honesty?" he was surprised.

"Cosmopolitan, ma'am," we were interrupted as the barista called out to me for the drink had ordered. I turned to collect it and thanked the tender.

"Honestly, I was merely commenting on your skepticism of the event," Michael implied casually as he took his place on the empty stool behind him.

"My skepticism about the event?" I was puzzled.

"Yes. The way you were standing alone here, carefully eyeing everyone and everything in this room puts me in a place where I have to assume that you aren't enjoying yourself here or should I say that you never really wanted to be here."

How does he do that all the time? Read me like an open book. I didn't want to admit that he was right even though he was. "I'm doing just fine Mr. Wright." I took a sip from my cocktail. It was delicious.

He looked up at me with his dark voracious gray eyes, "Are you now?" he raised his right eyebrow.

I shivered at his compelling looks, how they unfathomably devoured me, I simply spoke the truth, "I find such occasions a trivia for the rich to present themselves in the fanciest way possible without knowing the purpose of the event."

"So, you are cynical about this party?" he toasted to his accurate assumption.

"Do I give away so easily?" I was perplexed. It was almost impossible to read someone so explicitly, even if you knew the person and as far as I can recollect we are acquainted, not friends. He couldn't possibly know me enough to make such precise judgments about me.

"Not always, but sometimes it's easier than others" he admitted. Looking at my puzzled expression, he decided to give me an explanation, "Sit, have a drink with me and I'll tell you." He compelled me. "How many people here, do you see are all by themselves?"

I looked around carefully, spying at least one miserable soul like me to win the argument but I found none, "No one."

"But you…" he argued. "So how is it, that a beautiful girl like you not find a company in such an extravagant party." He paused, "This is the reason why you didn't want to come."

The only thing I heard and comprehended was beautiful, he thought I was beautiful. My heart raced at the thought of his admission, blood surfacing towards my cheek.

"What about the part where you believe that I'm a difficult person to impress?" I wanted an answer to that as well.

"That I figured out the other day when you were busy pointing out the wrongs in my house," he took a sip from his glass.

"Forgive me for doing my job. If I had known that you were a fan of unorganized arrangements, I wouldn't have made any suggestions at all." I leaned forward on the table and placed my hands on it taking support as I drank my cocktail.

He laughed at me. "There is no denying that you are something else entirely, Miss Summer. No denying it." He finished his drink and placed an order for another, only this time it was a cocktail I had never heard of. Barely even pronounce it, "make that two." He implied.

"I don't understand something, Mr. Wright," I began out of nowhere. "How is it that we keep having these moments?"

"And what moments might those be?" he was inquisitive.

"The ones where you know everything about me without me confessing," I remarked.

"I have told you before, I understand people."

I looked away to the crowd in the party, portraying my disagreement over his gift of reading people so precisely.

"You don't believe me?" he was amused.

"You have to admit, that it is hard to believe," I spoke my mind.

"Do you have a theory?"

"Only one."

"Care to share it with me?" he politely asked.

"Of course. It is meant for your ears." I proudly told him.

"Then I'm all ears," he smiled encouraging his dimples.

"David must have mentioned to you about me, on account of a background check. You surely would like to know who is working for you. Which gives you a full range of possibilities of knowing who I am." I smile with a sense of accomplishment.

He sauntered his stare back to me, "That is quite a theory," he paused to scrutinize me. "But it is not the correct one."

"Then what is the correct one?" I asked impatiently.

"Would you like to play a game Alexandra?" he teased me.

That was the first time he had called my name, as in Alexandra.

"A game?" I was surprised by the random mention of it.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure that you will love it." He was confident.

"Okay," I agreed, hesitantly.

"It's simple. I will make a statement about you. If I'm correct, then you drink and if not then I drink. Fair enough?"

"A drinking game," I narrowed my eyes, recollecting the previous night's events.

"A fun drinking game," he proclaimed.

"Alright," I took the dare.

He instantly turned to the barista and ordered three tequila shots and canceled the drink he had placed previously. Once the three small glasses arrived, he kept in a row in the space between us.

"Ready?" he looked at me optimistically with a glorious smile on his face.

"Yes," I was.

He surveyed my face most anxiously before presenting his first guess, "You aren't dating anyone currently."

"How did you get that?" I was bewildered.

"So, I am right?"

"Regretfully, yes." He had no intention of telling me how he had figured it out. Either way, I took some salt between my index and thumb and licked it clean before quickly gulping the tequila through my throat, followed by biting the lemon. It was terribly sour and burning.

"That bad huh?" he asked me after looking at the sour expression on my face.

"No. It's just not my drink." I admitted.

"We can always skip it, you know," he made an unchallenging suggestion.

"Then it wouldn't be fun."

"Right you are, Miss Summer."

"What's your next guess?" I asked.

"You're the only child." He confidently revealed.

A wicked smile engulfed me because this time I had him. This time he got it wrong, and I was victorious.

"Drink," I pushed the small glass towards him.

"What?" he was shocked at his unexpected failure.

"Drink," I repeated.

He quickly emptied the glass and placed it on the table, unpleased.

"You have siblings?"

"A sister."

"I can't imagine that," he admitted. "So now you know that I can make wrong assumptions."

"Depends on the last guess."

"You still don't believe me," he smiled like he knew that part already. "In that case, I should make it count."

"Yes, I suppose."

"That might take a while." He imposed.

"So, Michael, what brings you here? Nowhere better to be?" I was bold.

He was amused, "Like you Alexandra, I'm not a fan of social gatherings myself. But sometimes on some particular occasions, I do make myself available if it serves my purpose."

"And what purpose is that?" I was quizzical.

"Business really," he neglected the details. "I don't have much time otherwise."

"And has anyone accompanied you tonight?"

"No one," he implied.

"You are alone at this party, and I'm the cynical one," I was upset.

"You are very conclusive. As I said, I am here on business, can't mix that with pleasure by bringing another woman," he paused thinking carefully. "You, on the other hand, are here knowing that this is going to be a waste of your time."

I patiently gawked at him wondering what to say, he somehow knew me all too well. "David convinced me to come."

"Then I'm glad that he did. You do make a very stimulating company," he was interrupted when his phone rang. "Excuse me." He then walked away talking with his ear stuck to the phone. I was hard to make out the words with a light music running in the background.

He returned and sat next to me, gulping down the last of his drink. "I'm sorry that I have to leave you like this. An urgent matter requires my immediate attention."

"I understand. We can finish our game some other time," I merely set a reminder, hiding my cry for his departure. A voice inside my head begged him to stay longer.

"I don't think that's necessary." He stepped down and leaned towards me, his hand barely touching my elbow as he lunged forward to my ear. An electric pulse shot through my arm, almost paralyzing me. "You are going to miss my cheerful company, Alexandra, perhaps that's the only thing that has been pushing you through this insipid event." He whispered in my ear,

He swiftly distanced himself from me and confidently pushed the last glass towards me. I was dazed by the way he read my thoughts with such precision. Embarrassment was the only thing boasting on my face. I sipped the liquid from the glass admitting my mind shamefully.

"Yes, yours is the only company that has been delightful throughout the evening." I got it out.

"I wish I could have stayed longer then," he looked vacantly into me. "Enjoy the evening Miss Summer." He buttoned his coat and shifted his shoulder inside to adjust.

"You too Mr. Wright." I faked a smile, hiding my regret underneath.

I watched him walk away from me, rushing through the crowd as he made his exit.

An emptiness occupied me after his departure. He was right, I did come here knowing that this would be an utter waste of my time and he was the only one who cheered me up.

"Handsome, isn't he?" I was startled by Roxie the one person I had decided to stay clear off.

"I'm sorry?" I wasn't sure who she was referring to.

"Don't play dumb Xandra. I can see the way you look at him – Michael," she said.

"What?" My eyes flickered in confusion.

"And I can see the way he looks at you," she ignored me.

"I don't understand."

"I'm sure you do. You're a smart girl," she continued. "Be careful." She was stern on her words.

"What do you mean by that?" I argued. But she just smiled at me.

"Enjoy the party Xandra." That's all she said and abandoned me without an explanation and was gone.

What does she mean by that? Her words looped in my mind like song kept on repeat.

I left the party sooner than most of the guests. It had grown monotonous after a while, or maybe I didn't enjoy anyone else's company after Michael had gone. He was the only person there whose attention mattered to me.

When I got home, I couldn't wait to jump into my bed, I wasn't tired, but my legs ached from the prolonged standing on heels. I twisted in my bed, constantly thinking about Michael until I finally fell asleep. That was the first night I dreamt about Michael.

It was bright and glittery with all kinds of colors flashing in the room. Soft music buzzed in the background as I sat alone drinking cosmopolitan on the bar table. There was no bartender, no server, and no waiter. There were no guests, no hosts, and no colleagues. I was sitting alone in the dim light of the room listening to a familiar tune of music whose origin I couldn't place.

I wanted to climb down the bar stool and find out why the guests were missing from the party but my body was stiff and heavy, unable to move. It was like I was paralyzed, stuck and denied control of my own body. I tried harder, pushing every muscle in my body but I couldn't even move an inch.

"Where do you want to go?" A soothing voice startled me, and I immediately jerked off.

"Michael," he apparated out of nowhere. I was quite confident that he wasn't there, in fact, no one was sitting beside me. "Where did you come from?"

"I was here the whole time Xandra. In front of you," he musically replied.

I shook my head from the confusion and looked around again hoping for everyone else to materialize like Michael, but no one did. We were the only people in the room.

"Where is everyone?" I asked him.

"They left the party," he looked at me, amazed by my question.

"Then why are we here?"

He threw a coy smile, his dimples dominating his cheeks as he looked down. "You said you wanted to stay," he politely replied.

I flickered my eyes in astonishment. I couldn't remember making that suggestion. I quickly gulped the last of the cosmopolitan.

"You look so worried," Michael inclined towards me. "What is it, baby?" I could smell exquisite, expensive cologne, the fragrance created an alluring frenzy that dizzied my brain.

"It's nothing. I'm just so… so scared," I stammered to give away my feelings.

"Shhh…" he instantly hushed me. "Don't be. I'm here with you, always and forever." He caressed the outline of my face until his fingers reached the bottom of my chin and gave a small, shy smile before leaned further until our lips barely glided each other.

I could feel his breath on me, his intense gaze looking down at me from a distance less than an inch. My lips shivered in his presence, my heart ached for a taste, and my body trembled in fear. I lowered myself further to complete the lock, but his reflexes pulled him back, teasing me. I couldn't control my exhilaration, my heart picking pace when he finally put an end to my agony and kissed me.

He was gentle at first, syncing slowing with the moment of my tongue, dancing to an unknown tune. His hands slowly circled my waist, pulling himself closer to me as he stepped off his stool and stood in front of me without breaking the rhythm. His other hand traced the back of my neck, grabbing me harder now and demanding from me.

_Be careful! _Someone whispered, and I immediately pulled back, distancing myself from Michael. I looked around locating the origin of the words, but I found no one.

"Did you hear that?" I turned to look at Michael. Instead, I found an empty chair in front of me with its occupant missing.

Michael was gone!


End file.
